Token passing scheme for multithreaded multiprocessor system
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of threads; and
a token handler capable of managing token passing on behalf of the plurality of threads, a token associated with a critical section, the token handler capable of maintaining a token skip indicator for the token for each of the plurality of threads, the token skip indicator capable of allowing a thread to indicate whether the critical section associated with the token is skipped by the thread.
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Abstract
A token passing mechanism reduces unnecessary thread stalls in a multithreaded microprocessor system. In a multithreaded microprocessor system, in order processing for critical sections is managed through the use of tokens with access to each critical section restricted to the thread having the token associated with the critical section. A token handler maintains a token skip indicator per token that allows a thread that does not need a critical section to forward the token associated with that critical section to a next thread prior to reaching the critical section.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of threads; and
a token handler capable of managing token passing on behalf of the plurality of threads, a token associated with a critical section, the token handler capable of maintaining a token skip indicator for the token for each of the plurality of threads, the token skip indicator capable of allowing a thread to indicate whether the critical section associated with the token is skipped by the thread. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method comprising:
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managing token passing on behalf of a plurality of threads, a token associated with a critical section; and
maintaining a token skip indicator for the token for each of the plurality of threads, the token skip indicator capable of allowing a thread to indicate whether the critical section associated with the token is skipped by the thread. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An article including a machine-accessible medium having associated information, wherein the information, when accessed, results in a machine performing:
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managing token passing on behalf of a plurality of threads, a token associated with a critical section; and
maintaining a token skip indicator for the token for each of the plurality of threads, the token skip indicator capable of allowing a thread to indicate whether the critical section associated with the token is skipped by the thread. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system comprising:
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a switch fabric through which packets are received for processing;
a plurality of threads for processing the received packets; and
a token handler capable of managing token passing on behalf of the plurality of threads, each token associated with a critical section, the token handler capable of maintaining a token skip indicator per token for each of the plurality of threads, the token skip indicator capable of allowing a thread to indicate whether the critical section associated with the token is skipped by the thread. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of processors, each processor comprising;
a plurality of threads; and
a token handler capable of managing token passing on behalf of the plurality of threads, a token associated with a critical section, the token handler capable of maintaining a token skip indicator for the token for each of the plurality of threads, the token skip indicator capable of allowing a thread to indicate whether the critical section associated with the token is skipped by the thread. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
Specification